Document Type

Article

Abstract

Due to uncertainties about the impact of electronic cigarettes on health, Brazil adopted, in 2009, a regulation that prohibited the sale, importation and advertising of these products until manufacturers can demonstrate that they are safe and/or effective in smoking cessation. The objective of the study was to analyze among Brazilian smokers: (1) knowledge about the existence of electronic cigarettes, lifetime use, and recent use; (2) risk perception of e-cigarettes compared to conventional cigarettes; and (3) factors correlated with knowledge and perception of risk. This is a cross-sectional study among Brazilian smokers (≥ 18 years old) using a replacement sample from Wave 2 of the International Survey on Tobacco Control. Participants were recruited in three cities using a randomized dialing protocol between October 2012 and February 2013. Among the 721 respondents, 37.4% (n = 249) of the current smokers knew about e-cigarettes, 9.3% (n = 48) reported having tried or used them at least once in their lives, and 4.6% (n = 24) had used them in the last 6 months. Among those who knew e-cigarettes, 44.4% (n = 103) believed that they were less harmful than regular cigarettes (low risk perception). "Low risk perception" was associated with having a higher level of education and having recently tried/used e-cigarettes. Despite the restrictions on e-cigarettes in Brazil, 4.6% of the smokers in the sample reported recent use. Health surveillance programs in Brazil and other countries should include questions about the use and perceptions of e-cigarettes considering the respective regulatory environments.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00074416

Rights

Este é um artigo publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições, desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado

APA Citation

Cavalcante, T. M., Szklo, A. S., Perez, C. de A., Thrasher, J. F., Szklo, M., Ouimet, J., Gravely, S., Fong, G. T., & Almeida, L. M. de. (2017). Conhecimento e uso de cigarros eletrônicos e percepção de risco no Brasil: resultados de um país com requisitos regulatórios rígidos. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 33(suppl3). https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00074416

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